Growing Pains
April 21, 2023
Growth is good. But not all good things come easily—they take time and effort, and can even seem painful.
I know as well as anyone (personally and from conversations with clients) that personal growth comes with unforeseen and unfamiliar challenges. But the good news is that there are plenty of ways to ease the pains felt when working toward reaching your goal(s).
Growing pains are the outcome of unplanned or unintended circumstances. They may also be born out of taking initiative, being proactive, making mistakes (and learning from them), and asking questions—all of which can lead to feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable, yet are vital to your personal and professional growth.
When you start your personal growth journey, having a direction is important. No matter what’s driving you—your career, training for a marathon, managing an evolving business—stay focused on your journey. Accept these experiences and know that your growing pains are driven by a goal; doing so helps to realize that these pains are good pains—albeit some emotional blood, sweat, and tears along the way.
It’s natural to feel stressed, confused, uncomfortable, or insecure when working on your personal growth. Seek guidance from coaches, mentors, or others who have taken a similar journey to yours and learn from their experiences. But don’t expect anyone to do the work for you. Similar to a fitness trainer, they’ll only act as a guide—you’ll be doing the heavy lifting.
With or without a guide, growth will only occur if you’re proactive. Don’t wait for others to ask you what you want, and don’t assume they know what’s best for you. And most importantly, don’t expect to reach your goals overnight. Good things take time—and this is no exception. Enduring those growing pains to build a strong foundation will help you become stronger and have lasting results.
Feel the growing pains. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the journey. When you know the challenges you work through, the mistakes you correct, and the goals you achieve, hopefully, you can look back on all you’ve done and realize that the process—the journey you have been on—was worth the growing pains.